Chain wrench.



PATENTED 001?. 11, 1904.

G. J. MEYER.

CHAIN WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. MEYER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CHAIN WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 771,915, dated October 11, 1904. Application filed Beptember 14, 1903. Serial No. 173,046. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MEYER, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chain Wrenches, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specifieation.

My invention has relation to improvements in chain wrenches for pipes or other cylindrical articles.

In the ordinary form of chain wrenches the fixed head at the end of the handle is provided with gripping-teeth. This form of construction is open to objection, inasmuch as in the gripping operation only one or two teeth are actively engaging the pipe or other article to be gripped, and consequently there is very rapid wear, and hence necessity for frequent replacement of the worn part. In another and very common and perhaps best form of existing chain wrench the fixed head at the end of the handle is bifurcated, and each furcate member is provided with edge-gripping teeth, and the chain is pivoted between the furcate members. This latter form of construction necessarily renders the wrench quite wide, and hence makes it very diflicult, if not impossible, to manipulate short pipe-fittings, flanges, elbows, Ts, or short sections of pipe therewith in view of the fact that such short pipe-sections, flanges, &c., are oftentimes narrower than the space between the furcate parts and will therefore fit between the said furcate parts and be thereby so positioned as not to be engaged by the teeth. In view of what has been stated it is sometimes necessary with the style of wrench referred to to use in connection therewith a cable chain rather than a flat chain, which latter chain is considered the strongest, and therefore best suited for the purpose.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a chain wrench which without change or alteration can be used with different sizes of pipe and which will provide a large number of gripping faces or teeth to grip the pipe, the number of teeth being proportioned to the circumference of the pipe or cylinder to be gripped, and which, furthermore, embodies as a feature adaptability for use in gripping small pipe-fittings, flanges, elbows, Ts, or other short sections of pipes.

With the above primary object and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the invention, part being broken away and showing the gripping-chain encircling a pipe. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an end View, the chain being in transverse section.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I indicates the handle or shank of the wrench. The forward end or nose 5 of the handle forms the rigid jaw of the wrench, and the extremity of said nose portion is curved slightly into concave form, the concavity being on that side of the nose which is adjusted against the pipe. The said side of the nose is also recessed, as indicated by the numeral 6, the recess leading and merging into an opening 7, which opening lies just back of the extreme end of the nose. I prefer to provide a resilient bottom for the recess, and in the drawings I have shown a rubber strip 6, said strip being provided with an outer metallic protecting-covering 6 against which the chain bears. Instead of this resilient bottom being formed of a' rubber strip a spring or other yielding device may be employed. WVhile the resilient bottom piece is not absolutely necessary, yet it is advisably employed, inasmuch as it avoids too great pressure on the links of the chain which pass through the recess, and thereby permits the sides of the recess to take the greater proportion of the strain. The extreme end of the nose is provided with outer projecting lugs 8 8, and between these outer lugs other and preferably thinner lugs 9 9 extend. The several lugs form bearings for a pin 10.

The flexible or movable jaw of the wrench is formed by a chain 11, connected at its inner end to the pin 10. The chain is preferably composed of a series of links, the links tightly around the pipe.

of each section being provided with teeth or serrations. In the drawings I have shown these teeth or serrations upon opposite edges of the links. The said teeth or serrations, however, might be provided only upon the edges of the links which lie adjacent to the pipe when the chain is adjusted therearound. I prefer, however, to provide the teeth upon opposite edges, in view of the fact that this can be done without increasing the cost of manufacture and presents the advantage of enabling the chain to be reversed, so that the teeth on the outer edges of the links may be utilized after the teeth on the inner edges thereof have become worn. This provision is practically equivalent to supplying two different chains. The link-sections are preferably arranged as follows: The innermost link section is composed of three similar links, which are mounted on the pin 10 and are disposed between the lugs 8 8 and 9 9. The lugs 9 therefore not only serve as bearings for portions of the pin between the ends of said pin, but also serve as spacers for maintaining the links a slight distance apart. The next link-section comprises two links which pass between the three links of the innermost link-section and are pivoted thereto by a pin 11. This is carried out throughout the entire length of the chain-that is to say, one link-section will be composed of three links and the next link-section of two links pivoted to the three-link section, and so on alternately throughout the length of the chain. By this construction the, chain is also rendered stronger than the usual type, inasmuch as in order to sever the chain the pin 10 must be broken at a plurality of points, owing to the interposition of the intermediate lugs 9 9.

In the use and application of my invention the concavity of the nose portion of the handle is adjusted next to the pipe 12, and the chain is then drawn around the pipe and the free end of said chain passed along the recess 6 and through the opening 7, being drawn If now the handle is moved in a direction, say, to the left of Fig. 1, the chain is caused to tighten around the pipe, and by reason of the fact that the links of said chain are provided with projecting teeth or serrations a firm grip of the chain is secured on the pipe and also on the sides of the recess 6. When it is desired to loosen the chain, all that is necessary to be done is to turn the handle in the opposite direction or to the right of Fig. 1.

While I have herein shown and described certain specific details of construction, yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself specifically thereto, inasmuch as certain alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. For instance, I would deem it within the broad purview of my invention to provide a pipe-wrench having a pivoted chain or fiexible member devoid of the projecting teeth or serrations and locating said teeth or serrations on the edges of the sides of the recess 6.

Among the advantages of my invention I would call attention to the fact that in the or- -dinary form of chain wrenches in which the handle is provided at one end with a fixed head having projecting teeth or serrations the adjustment is limited to the length of one link--that is to say, after the chain is drawn around the pipe the projecting pivots of one link are engaged in recesses orhooks and when it is desired to grip another device having a different circumference it is necessary to shift the securing point to either the next innermost or outermost link, in accordance with whether the device to be gripped is of greater or smaller diameter. Also in the form of chain wrenches referred to the wear of the gripping faces is always confined to but a very few of the dozen or so serrations or teeth. In my improved wrench the chain is adjusted -to the pipe simply by pulling said chain.

through the recess, and as soon as pressure is applied to the handle every tooth on the links of the chain is brought into active engagement with the pipe and participates in its share of the work.

A wrench embodying my invention is rendered strong and durable, as it is composed practically of but two parts-via, the flexible gripping member, which is made by punching the links from a good grade of steel, and the handle or lever, which may be made of either steel casting, forging, or malleable iron.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A pipe-wrench comprising a handle terminating at its forward end in a nose, said nose adapted to be adjusted longitudinally against and to conform to a portion of the circumference of the pipe, and said nose provided on that side thereof which is adjusted against the pipe with a longitudinal recess, the said recess extending through the nose at a point slightly removed from the forward extremity of said nose, and a flexible gripping member secured to said forward extremity of the nose and adapted to be carried around the pipe,thence longitudinally through the recess of the nose in a direction toward the forward extremity of the nose.

2. A pipe-wrench comprising a handle portion terminating at one end in a nose, said nose being recessed longitudinally on that side thereof which is adjusted to the pipe, said recess extending through the end of the nose, and a flexible gripping-jaw securedto the end of the nose and adapted to be passed around the pipe to be grasped, and thence extended along and through the recess of the nose.

3. A pipe-wrench, comprising a handle portion having on one side and at one end thereof a recess, said recess provided with a resilient or flexible bottom, and a flexible gripping member secured to the handle and adapted to be passed around the pipe to be grasped, and thence extended along the recess.

4. A pipe-wrench comprising a handle portion terminating at one end in a nose, said nose on that side thereof which is adjusted next to the pipe being concave, said concave side conforming and being adjusted next to the circumference of the pipe, and said concave portion provided with a longitudinal recess extending through the forward end of the nose, and a flexible gripping-jaw adapted to be extended outwardly from the end of the nose, thence extended around the pipe, thence extended forwardly along the recess of the nose and out through the forward end of said nose.

5. A pipe-wrench comprising a handle portion terminating at one end in a nose, said nose being recessed longitudinally on that side thereof which is adjusted next to the pipe, said recess extending and merging into an opening through the end of the nose, and a flexible gripping member secured to the end of the nose and adapted to be passed around the pipe to be gripped and thence extended along the recess of the nose and through the opening of said nose.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE J. MEYER.

Witnesses:

A. L. MORSELL, ANNA F. SGHMIDTBAUER. 

